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Welcome to today's edition of the Computer Kindergarten Newsletter.
Today is Sunday, February 9, 2003
In this Issue:
Special Feature: Back Up Your Most Recent Files
Special Feature: Inserting a Picture into a Word Processing Document
Featured Webpage: Stop Pop Up Advertising Windows on the Internet
Featured Webpage: Beware of Email Hoaxes
Featured Computer Term: Sheet Feeder
This Week's Topic: Double-Click Problems
Question: Customizing Your Screensaver
Question: Virtual Memory
Learning Series: Microsoft Word - Counting Words; Changing Page Orientation
Featured Websites: Happy Valentine’s Day!; Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday
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Using Links
A Link is a reference to a website. In this newsletter you will see links to many worthwhile, informative and fun websites. Here are the instructions on how to use links:
A link will be used one of two ways, depending on your email program.
If you see the link in blue, underlined text, all you have to do is click on it and a window with the Website in it will automatically appear on your screen.
If you see the link in plain text, you can copy and paste it into the address bar on your browser. Highlight the link with your mouse, click Edit up on the menu bar, and then click Copy from the menu that you just opened up. Open your browser (click the Start Button, point to Programs, click on Internet Explorer); click on the address bar. Click Edit up on the menu bar, and then click Paste from the menu that you just opened up. Press the Enter key on the keyboard and this will take you to the Website.
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Special Feature: Back Up Your Most Recent Files
It’s a very good idea to have backups of your files. If anything happens to your computer, at least your files will be safe.
In backing up files, you may want to back up only the most recent files you worked with. For example, let’s say, in a typical day you work with 50 different files. Can you remember all 50 file names if you want to back them up at the end of the day?
To solve this problem, Windows has a built-in 'Find' or 'Search' tool that can be used to find files. One specific point of interest is the option to find files that have recently been updated. Click Start, then 'Find' or 'Search,' depending on if you have the 95, 98, Me or XP version.
Within the 'Find' or 'Search' utility, enter nothing for the file name, and search only by date. You will either choose the date tab, in 95/98, or drop down the date parameter in the left pane within the search screen in Me or XP.
Choose the number of days back you want to track changed files, and begin the search. Now, select from the list those files you need to back up, and copy them to your backup location or to a backup folder to be sent to a ROM disk later.
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Special Feature: Inserting a Picture into a Word Processing Document
Question: I’d like to add pictures I took with my digital camera into the newsletter that I do for my church. I know how to get the pictures onto my computer but I’m not sure how to get it into the word processing document or adjust the size once I get it in there. I use Microsoft Word.
Answer:
To insert the picture, click where you want it to appear and then choose Insert from the menu bar. Point to Picture and then click From File. Maneuver to the folder where you have the picture saved, and open it. You’ll now see the picture in your document.
To resize the picture, click on it and you’ll see small squares appear on each corner and mid-way on each side. These are called sizing handles; you can click one of the corner handles and drag toward the center of the picture to make it smaller or drag away from the center to make it larger.
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Featured Webpage: Stop Pop Up Advertising Windows on the Internet
Are you sick of pop up advertising windows when you’re on the Internet? Visit our website for a great way of getting rid of those annoying ads once and for all!
http://stsico.com/html/noads.html ******************************************************************** ***
Featured Webpage: Beware of Email Hoaxes
In this newsletter we’ve done quite a few articles on email hoaxes over the years: what they are, popular ones going around, and how to spot them. We continue to get emails from subscribers who’ve been fooled by a hoax, sometimes to the detriment of their computer’s health. Don’t be fooled! Learn more about hoaxes so you won’t get taken by one:
http://stsico.com/html/hoaxes.html
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Today's Computer Term: Sheet Feeder
A sheet feeder is a device that holds a stack of paper and feeds each sheet into a printer one at a time. Nowadays, sheet feeders are usually built into laser printers and ink jet printers and are optional components on dot-matrix printers. Most fax machines come with sheet feeders, as do some scanners.
Similar to the sheet feeder is the envelope feeder; usually found on printers with high capacity printing capability. The device holds a stack of envelopes and feeds each into the printer one at a time.
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Today's Topic: Double-Click Problems
If you're finding that you are having to repeatedly double-click over and over to get Windows to perform an action, you may have your double-click timing too high.
Go to the Control Panel and double-click the mouse icon. In the resulting dialog box, select the Buttons tab and move the slider more toward the slower end. You can test the speed by double-clicking the Jack-In-The Box or Dolphin (depending on your Windows verion) to get the right speed. Click Apply and try again. If it's still too fast, or now it's too slow, adjust it again.
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Question: Customizing Your Screensaver
My computer has a screensaver set up but it’s becoming very annoying. I just turn away from the computer for a moment and when I turn back the screensaver is going. I like the screensaver; I’d just like it to come on less often.
Answer:
You can control how quickly your screensaver starts by right-clicking your desktop, left clicking Properties from the resulting menu, and then selecting the screensaver tab.
Here’s where you can change the settings: setting up a screensaver, turning off a screensaver, or increasing or decreasing the delay time to suit your needs.
To setup a screensaver, click the down arrow next to the screensaver box, and then click on one of the choices in the list. To see the screensaver you choose, click the Preview button (move the mouse a little to get back out of the Preview).
To remove a screensaver, click that same down arrow, and then click None.
To change the delay time (how long the computer is idle before the screensaver comes on), increase or decrease the number in the wait time box. Click OK when you’re done.
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Question: Virtual Memory
One of the guys in my club seems to know a lot about computers and he’s always throwing techno-babble terms around. I’ve heard him mention virtual memory often and I’m curious how this differs from regular memory.
Answer:
Virtual memory is nothing more than storing what Windows cannot fit into the RAM (Random Access Memory) memory, onto a temporary area of your hard disk.
Think of virtual memory as an alternate set of memory addresses (An address is a location of data, usually in main memory or on a disk. You can think of computer memory as a group of storage boxes, each of which is one byte in length. Each box has an address - a unique number - assigned to it.).
The purpose of virtual memory is to enlarge the address space, the set of addresses a program can utilize. For example, virtual memory might contain twice as many addresses as main memory.
Programs use these virtual addresses rather than real addresses to store instructions and data. When the program is actually used, or those particular instructions are needed, the virtual addresses are copied into real memory addresses.
The virtual memory settings in Windows Me and 98 can be found by going to the Control Panel and selecting the System Icon. Click the Performance Tab, and click the Virtual Memory button. In Windows XP, go to Control Panel, click on Performance and Maintenance, click on the System Icon. In the Performance Options dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
It’s not a good idea to change these settings unless you know exactly what you ‘re doing!
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Progressive Learning Series: Microsoft Word - Counting Words; Changing Page Orientation
Counting Words
You may know that you can count the number of words in a document by clicking Tools on the menu and then Word Count. In fact, this feature counts words, pages, paragraphs, and lines.
There may be times, though, when you need to count the words or lines in a portion of a document. If so, just select the text you want to count and then click Tools and then Word Count.
Changing Page Orientation
You can use two orientations when you print your document, Portrait or Landscape.
To change the paper orientation, follow these steps: Choose the Page Setup option from the File menu. You will see the Page Setup dialog box. Select the Paper Size tab. (In Word XP you use the Margins tab.) Select the appropriate orientation for your document. Click on OK.
To see graphical instructions on page orientation, visit our website at:
http://stsico.com/html/word9.html
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Today's Featured Websites: Happy Valentine’s Day!; Abraham Lincoln’s Birthday
Note: if you're not sure how to use the following links to websites, take a look at the instructions on using links at the beginning of this newsletter.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
This Friday is Valentine’s Day. Don’t forget to get your loved one some Valentine’s chocolates. Take a look at the Sweet Street Gifts website, for candy, gift baskets and more -and, they’re right here on Long Island!
http://www.sweetstreetgifts.com/
How did Cupid become the symbol of Valentine’s Day? This website explains:
http://www.holidays.net/amore/cupid.html
Are you planning on making your own Valentine’s Day cards? This site has some great graphics and clipart that you can use.
http://valentines-day-clipart.com/
Send a virtual Valentine’s Day card to your loved one, friends and family -free!
http://www.e-cards.com/area/valentines/
For love, poems, poetry, chocolates, facts, recipes, songs and much more, take a look at St. Valentine’s on the ‘Net
http://www.stvalentines.net/favorites.htm
Wednesday, February 12, is Abraham Lincoln’s birthday
For a biography of this man, visit the Whitehouse’s website at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/history/presidents/al16.html
For historical materials, including his writings and speeches
http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/
Learn about the Emancipation Proclamation at the Library of Congress website:
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/almintr.html
Visit the National Park Service’s website for a virtual tour of Lincoln’s home in Springfield Illinois, a timeline of Lincoln’s life, information on his family and more.
http://www.nps.gov/liho/
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